Weather protected chairs



Sept 20, 1966 P. G. ANDERSON 3,273,937

WEATHER PROTECTED CHAIRS Filed May 2,4. 1965 INVENTOR 54 PAUL G. ANDERSON T TOR/VE V United States Patent O 3,273,937 WEATHER PRTECTED CHAIRS Paul G. Anderson, Ontario, Calif., assigner of twenty-five percent to Freeman A. Parsons, and of twenty-five percent to Floyd H. Wells, both of San Bernardino, Calif., and of twenty-tive percent to Byron V. Curry, Arcadia, Calif.

Filed Mar. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 453,303 3 Ciaims. (Cl. 297-219) The invention relates to chairs and seats, and particularly to such chairs and seats that are exposed to exterior weather conditions.

yMany of the outdoor auditoriums and other public gathering places .are equipped with individual chairs with folding seats. Conventionally such chairs are made with wooden seats and backs. Although the wooden surfaces -are primed and painted, or otherwise covered with protective coatings, the moisture exchange between the wood interior and the surrounding atmosphere results in cracking of the wood and blistering of the paint coating. The finish is also exposed to direct contact with rain, snow and dew. This direct contact causes extreme interchange of moisture between the interior and exterior of the wood, with `subsequent cracking and splintering of the seat and back.

I have invented a folding chair having a protective covering which eliminates most deterioration due to weathering of wooden portions of the chair. The protective covering is preferably of Fiberglas or other like material -capable of ready forming and relatively impervious t-o sun, water and other weather conditions. The invention contemplates va folding chair comprising a frame with one or more back members extending horizontally across the back of the frame. Preferably the back members are curved so as to afford .a concave configuration to the back of a user. At least one resilient back pad lies against the back members. A water-repellent back sheath covers that face of the resilient pad remote from the back members. A back sheath cap flange extends over the upper surfaces of the yresilient pad and the back member and extends downwardly adjacent the rear surface of the back member. Fastening means secure the sheath to the back member. A chair seat is pivotally mounted to the chair frame. A resilient seat pad covers the upper surface of the chair seat. A seat sheath of waterrepellent material covers the resilient seat pad. Downlwardly depending flanges on each of the four edges of the seat sheath extend ,below the bottom surface of the seat pad. Fastening means such as ush rivets or wood sere-ws secure the seat sheath to the chair seat.

The resilient pads not only .afford a more comfortable chair to the user, but compensate for any irregularities in the chair back and sea-t surfaces. The pad-s and sheath, while protecting the wooden components of the chair from weather, still permit expansion and contraction of the wooden components as humidity changes.

The inventive concept encompasses sheath and resilient pads in back and seat attachment units suitable for combining with already existing and installed chairs. In either case it is contemplated that the pads and sheath may be applied to the back and seat after the chairs are assembled.

A preferred embodiment of Ithe invention comprises the previously described chair, pads and sheaths with the back sheath having horizontal indentations across its outer surface. The indentations coincide with the separations between the wooden back members of the chair back. The depth of each `indentation slightly exceeds the thickness of the resilient pad. Preferably the upper and lower convex surfaces of each indentation make linear contact with the lower and upper edges, re-

spectively, of adjacent wooden back members. The indentation thus shields the resilient pad from exposure through the slits between back members.

The apparatus of the invention is adapted to rnaSS production methods, making its production economically feasible. `Installation can be done by semi-skilled labor with conventional fastening means. These and other advant-ages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed ydescription and drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of chairs in accordance with the invention, partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken 4along line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional View taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3.

IFIGS. 1 and 2 show a chair 9 of a conventional chair row `9, 10, 11. Chair 9 has right and left vertical frame members 12 and 1S, member 13 of which is also common to like chair 10. Each frame member has a front leg 15 and a rear leg 16 rising from the floor 17. Each front leg extends upwardly past a seat 18 and supports an arm rest 19. Seat 18 is pivotally mounted at 2t) to each frame member.

Leg 16 extends upwardly in a back support portion 21. A wooden back rest 23 extends between frame members 12 and 13, and is secured conventionally to support members 21.

A resilient pad 26 lies against the concave surface of yback rest 23. The pad may be of any suitable resilient material, such as polyurethane or other foam plastic. Preferably, the pad lterminates just above the top edge 26 of seat 18.

A chair back sheath 27 of waterproof material, such as Fiberglas, extends over the resilient pad from side to side. A bot-tom lip 28 encloses the lower edge 29 of the resilient pad. A back sheath cap llange 31 extends across the top of the pad and the top edge 33 of the chair back. The flange has a downwardly depending lip 35 that extends downwardly adjacent the rear surface of the chair back. The flange extends the full width of the chair back.

While the cap flange is shown as integrally formed with the back sheath, the ange may be a separate piece fixed to the pad and chair back by upper fasteners 36, which extend through the sheath, the pad and the chair back. The fasteners may be Iconventional flush rivets, or may `be wood screws whose threads engage the chair back. Other conventional fastening means may also be utilized.

lFasteners 37 at the bottom of the sheath are similarly associated with the sheath, pad and chair back. Since the back is txed with respect to the frame, the sheath need not be turned at its vertical edges to encompass the pad. Preferably the vertical edges of the sheath are formed to abut snugly against the inner faces of the support portions 21 of the chair frame. Such abutment also helps maintain the curvature of lthe sheath parallel to the concave surface of the chair back.

Seat 18 is covered with a resilient pad 40. The pad may be of plastic foam such as polyurethane. The resilient pad overlies the entire upper surface of the chair seat. A chair sheath 41 of waterproof material, such as yFiberglas or other plastic that is impervious to sun and water and other weather conditions, is secured on the pad. Each edge of Ithe sheath has a depending flange 42 which overlies the vertical edge of lboth the pad and the chair seat. Conventional fasteners 43 secure the sheath to the chair seat adjacent each corner of the seat.

Preferably flush-headed fasteners are used so that no discomfort is encountered by the seat user.

lFIG. 3 illustrates a partial row of chairs of which only chair 50 is shown wholly. The chair comprises a chair frame Srl having spaced side members 52, 53. Each side member is common to tw-o chairs and has a front leg v4 fand `a rear leg 55. Each front leg extends upwardly above a seat assembly 56 and turns rearwardly in an arm support portion 57. The rear leg extends upwardly and in its upper portion or back support 58 has a horizontal cross-section similar to an I-beam. The con- Ifiguration is best seen in FIG. 5. Each is defined by a web 59, a back `flange 60 and a `front flange 61. The embodiment of FIG. 3 has three curving wooden back members 63, 64 and 61S that extend between the rear legs 55. Upper back member 63 is slightly ,wider vertically than the central and bottom lback members 64, 65, respectively. Each of the back members is secured .at each end as by bolts `66 to a back flange 60 of a rear leg. Upper back member 63 has an .arcuate upper edge. Therefore, the seat back `is taller in the center. As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, the radius of curvature of each back member differs, with the arcuate expanse of the upper members being greater.

The back members are spaced apart and dene a slit 68 between adjacent back members.

A plurality of resi-lent sheath pads 69 intervene one lbetween each of the back members and a water-repellent back sheath 71. The back sheath is divided into three horizontal segments 73, 74, '75 by horizontal identations 77, 718. Each lower segment has a lesser horizontal extent than the upper segment adjacent thereto in order to match the width of the back members properly. Thus, the back sheath before assembly with the seat has the configuration of ya wedge. The `back sheath is oriented with respect to the back members such that the indentations coincide with the slits 68 between adjacent back members. As can best be seen in FIG. 4, the depth and configuration of the indentations is such that, with the sheath pads overly-ing the back members, the horizontal extent of the indentation contacts an inner edge of each of adjacent back members and closes the access t-o the pads that would otherwise be available between the back members. Such closure not only precludes excessive entry of moisture into the `sheath pads but also protects the pads against accidental and deliberate partial re- Imoval.

The back sheath has a cap flange portion 79. The upper surface y80 of the cap flange extends horizontally over the upper edges of the upper resilient pad 69A and the upper edge of back member 63. A downwardly depending ilange lip 86 extends adjacent the back surface of the chair back member. It may be desirable to have fasteners, such yas the fastener 85, extend through the back sheath, the resilient pad, the back member and flange lip 83. As in the previously described embodiment, the fastener is preferably a flush rivet which may be easily applied with either a conventional rivet tool or with a pulltype rivet gun.

The back sheath pads may be assembled prior to their association with the chair back members. lThe back sheath and sheath pads may then be assembled with the chair back by inserting the sheath downwardly between the chair back members and forward flange 61 of both of the legs 5S. In the conventional stadium chair of the type shown, the interval between the back member and the front flange 61 is such that the resilient sheath pad is compressed between the back sheath and the back member. If the horizontal width of the back sheath when flat is proper, the wedging action between the Webs 59 of the respective rear legs forces the sheath into the concave curvature matching that of the chair members. The back sheath and pads are thrust downwardly in the channels 58 until the cap flange is properly seated upon the upper edge of chair back member 63. Fasteners '85 are then applied at both top and bottom of the back sheath. The chair back members are `thus protected from the effects of weather and the user is protected from seat backs that may have deteriorated due to weather. The pads are .inaccessible to vandalism and the fasteners preclude removal of the back sheath.

The Ichair 50 of FIGS. 3-5 has a seat frame 88 mounted pivotally at 89 to each side member of the chair frame. A plurality of seat members 9i, 92, 93 extend horizontally across the seat frame. A resilient seat pad covers the seat members. A Iwater-proof scat sheath 97 covers the seat pad and seat members. Each edge of the seat sheath has a downwardly depending lip 9S which extends downwardly to the bottom of the seat members. Fasteners 99 secure 'the seat sheath and seat pads t-o the seat members, extending therethruotgh near each corner of the seat.

fIn each of the embodiments disclosed the resilient pads not only afford a more comfortable seat to the user, but also help .to contour the seat sheath into a convex surface so that moisture does not collect, but runs off the seat. The amount of crown desired may be determined either by the length and method of application of the corner fasteners or may be yachieved by shaping the resilient seat pad to have a greater thickness at its center.

The sheath and the pad components may be combined prior to Iassembly with the chair. The sheath and pad components may be employed as attachments t-o recover chair backs and chair seats that have deteriorated from sun and other Weather conditi-ons.

The apparatus of the invention is not only -useful but Iaflords more seating comfort with less cost over a given period of time. The sheath and pad components are easily adapted to conventional stadium and `auditorium folding chairs and may be easily combined therewith.

Many variations within the scope of the invention will occur to th-ose skilled in the art. Therefore, I Wish the invention to be defined by the appended claims, rather than the illustrative embodiments described herein.

I claim:

1. A chair comprising a chair frame having vertical uprights, each of said uprights having a vertically extending channel opening toward the center of the chair, a plurality of horizontally extending vertically spaced, wooden back members affixed to the vertical uprights to define a chain back such that a front flange of each channel overlies the side ends of the back members, a plurality of resilient back pads each extending horizontally -across a chair back member, a water-repellent back sheath overlying the resilient back pads, an upper sheath cap flange extending across the upper edges of the upper back member and the upper resilient 'back pad and extending downwardly adjacent the rear `surface of the upper back member, a plurality of horizontally-extending rearward indentations in the chair back sheath, each indentation intervening between pairs of adjacent .resilient back pads and contacting the horizontal edge of each of adjacent wooden back members, a plurality of fasteners extending through the back sheath and the back members of the chair back, a seat frame mounted for `pivotal motion with respect to the vertical uprights, a

plurality of horizontally-extending wooden seat members fixed to the seat frame, a resilient seat pad overlying the seat members, a water-repellent seat sheath covering the surface of the seat pad rem-Ote from the seat members, downwardly depending seat sheath ilanges extending across the vert-ical edges of the seat pad and the seat members, and fastening means extending through the seat sheath and into the seat members so as to secure the seat sheath to the seat.

2. A covered chair comprising front and rear leg pairs, upwardly extending vertical channel members on the rear legs opening toward each other, a seat frame mounted for pivotal mot-ion with respect to the vertical channel members, a wooden chair seat fixed to the seat frame, a resilient seat pad covering the upper surface of the chair seat, a waterproof seat sheath covering the seat pad, means for securing the seat sheath in place over the pad and to the seat, a plurality of horizontally curving wooden back members extending between the vertical channel members, a resilient back pad adjacent the concave face of the back members, each of said channel members having a forward flange overlapping the side ends of the back members, a seat back sheath having a greater horizontal dimension at its upper edge than at its lower edge, the upper dimension exceeding the chord width of the curving upper back member, said sheath having an upper cap ange extending horizontally from the` upper edge of the sheath and downwardly so as to overlie the rearward upper surface of the chair back member, said sheath being of a water-repellent material suciently resilient to assume the curvature of the chair back members, the dimensions of the sheath being such that the insertion of lthe sheath into the space intervening between the chair back member ends and the vertical framing channels sustains the sheath in a curving configuration substantially parallel to the concave surface of the chair back members.

3. A padded chair back cover for a chair having upright back channels and a plurality of vertically spaced vWooden back members extending between the vertical channels and comprising a plurality of horizontally elongate pads; a back sheath having a front surface, parallel horizontal indentations extending across the front surface, an upper horizontal flange on the front surface extending rearwardly of the surface, and a down- |wardly depending lip extending from the upper flange; said resilient pads being adapted to be located with respect to the back sheath on the back area thereof between the horizontal indentations, and said sheath indentations being vertically spaced and of such vertical extent as to contact the horizontal edge of each adjacent w-ood back member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,304,753 5/ 1919 Dwyer 297-219 1,701,441 2/ 1929 Coppock 297-219 1,800,097 4/ 1931 Nubeng 297-460 1,840,275 1/1932 Nuberg 297-460 1,933,372 10/1933 Fisher 297-218 2,186,301 1/ 1940 La More 297-460 2,326,937 8/1943 Frei 297-219 2,587,128 2/1952 Eull 297-219 2,901,028 8/1959 Bottemiller 5-356 2,907,378 10/ 1959 Barecki 297-193 3,006,689 10/ 1961 Eppink 297-457 6,025,104 3/11962 yMurphy 297-218 3,079,198 2/19163 Morgan et al. 297-248 y3,152,836 10/1964 Swan 297-449 3,156,502 11/1964 Chisholm 297-452 3,180,681 4/ 1965 Buralle 297-229 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, CASMIR A. NUNBERG,

Examiners. 

1. A CHAIR COMPRISING A CHAIR FRAME HAVING VERTICAL UPRIGHTS, EACH OF SAID UPRIGHTS HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING CHANNEL OPENING TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE CHAIR, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING VERTICALLY SPACED, WOODEN BACK MEMBERS AFFIXED TO THE VERTICAL UPRIGHTS TO DEFINE A CHAIN BACK SUCH THAT A FRONT FLANGE OF EACH CHANNEL OVERLIES THE SIDE ENDS OF THE BACK MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT BACK PADS EACH EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY ACROSS A CHAIR BACK MEMBER, A WATER-REPELLENT BACK SHEATH OVERLYING THE RESILIENT BACK PADS, AN UPPER SHAFT CAP FLANGE EXTENDING ACROSS THE UPPER EDGES OF THE UPPER BACK MEMBER AND THE UPPER RESILIENT BACK PAD AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ADJACENT THE REAR SURFACE OF THE UPPER BACK MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY-EXTENDING REARWARD INDENTATIONS IN THE CHAIR BACK SHEATH, EACH INDENTATION INTERVENTING BETWEEN PAIRS OF ADJACENT RESILI- 